Chapter 10

The next week went by in a daze. Everyone was excited about the ball. The first and second years seemed a little put out, considering they had to leave by 10pm, other then that, the general mood of the school was wonderful.

Hermione was starting to worry a little bit as she had to go shopping the next day with Ginny, she didn't know whether or not she would actually go with someone or by herself.

No one had yet asked her.

She hadn't seen much of Malfoy that week either, except in classes, where she tried not to look at him. She could still feel those gray eyes at times following her every move, she could feel the tension in the air when they were in the same room. It seemed like he wanted to speak to her, but she would rush out of the room before he had a chance to speak his mind. The only time she did actually have to speak to him was during class. Arthimancy, where she was now headed to.

As she made her way towards him, he looked up at her and their eyes connected sending a jolt of electricity run throughout her veins.

She tried to keep herself composed as she sat down next to him.

He had been thinking a lot about her this week, he realized looking up at her now, and he saw the insecurity in her eyes. They had both avoided each other through the course of the week, speaking only when need be in class. He had started to desire her above anything else. She had replaced the dreams of Crabbe, which he felt was to a great extent better. But it left in him an aching void. He needed her he realized, he wanted to be in her. To be on top of her, to do what he please with the know-it-all.

That's all he needed. Her once in his bed and he would never need her again, just to get her out of his system.

So he had come up with another genius plan.

"You have been avoiding me Granger." He whispered low into her ear. So that no one but she noticed or heard.

"I don' know what you are talking about. Let me pay attention." She said scribbling down notes as fast as she could.

"Come to the ball with me" he whispered.

"What!" she yelped breaking her quill leaving ink splotches over her parchment.

"Is everything Ok Miss Granger?" Came Professor Vector's voice from the front.

"Uh… Yes Sorry Professor," replied Hermione meekly, feeling the eyes of everyone in the class on her. Blushing she performed Scourgify and instantly everything was clean again. She glared at Malfoy and returned to her note taking.

"So will you or will you not?"

"We'll talk later shut up!" she hissed at him.

Smiling he went back to daydreaming.

It was getting close to the end of the dinner, Hermione was nervous about talking to Malfoy when she got back to the room. She had seen him staring at her again with an amused look on his face. So she purposely sat with her back to him.

Harry noticed her annoyance of Malfoy as he was sitting opposite Hermione.

"Are you ok? Is the git getting on your nerves?" he asked Hermione nodding towards the Slytherin table.

"Oh not more then usual. I try to stay away from him." she said trying not to blush.

"Well if you need us to beat him to a pulp, don't hesitate to ask." Spoke Ron shoving a piece of chicken into his mouth.

Hermione was trying her hardest not to laugh as she imagined Ron 'trying' to beat up Draco. With his mouth jam-packed and his fists flailing around. DRACO? God help me she thought. He was getting to her. She had suddenly lost her appetite.

"See you guys I have a lot of work to do" she said rushing off.

Back in the common room she had to fight the urge not to run up the stairs and bolt the door. But she needed to speak to him. She said she would. They had to clear the air. What happened happened. So she pulled out her Muggle Unity essay and waited.

About 30 minuets later he entered. He was surprised she actually hung back today, every other day she was in her room by now or would sneak up after he was already in bed.

He slung his bag down and took of his shoes and took a seat in the opposite armchair from her. She still had her nose scrunched up and was bent over her parchment. He knew she wasn't reading anything though because she was biting her lower lip and had been on the same page of her Unity book for the past 5 minuets.

"Why did you ask me to come to the ball with you?" she said finally looking up at him.

"Well its obvious isn't it? I don't have a date, and as far as I know Weasley hasn't had the balls to ask you."

"You have plenty of other girls you can take." She said quite blatantly.

"Why take pity on a mudblood?"

"Hermione, I desire to take you because, you are the most gorgeous witch at Hogwarts. I have no want to take any other girl. You are my only friend, if you say no; I won't harass you. Furthermore as this is a Unity ball. It would only seem right if we, as the Heads went together to encourage inter-house Unity as friends of course."

She stared at him a long moment. She was stunned he called her by her first name. She loved the way her name rolled off his lips. He also called her a gorgeous witch? Not a filthy mudblood? He looked so sincere and there was hope in his face. It was only as friends.

He did mean what he said. She was beautiful. He didn't really care about what anybody would say about them. He knew he was already hated and despised. Maybe this would help him. Having Granger on his arm might not be a bad thing, though heaven forbid his father would come to know of this. Malfoy wasn't sure as to whether his fathers view on Muggleborns had changed. He doubted the man would ever change. It was true he didn't want them all executed anymore but he would never be one to socialize with them. Neither would he allow his only Pureblood son to. He didn't care though; he was tired of living for his father, tired of living for everyone else. He wanted to live life his way and he knew that by going to the ball with Granger was not going to kill him.

If only she would say yes.

"We'll wear gold if that is okay with you." She said finally.

"Blue has never been my color. Whoever did plan this ridiculous color scheme, they should have added silver or black at least."

Hermione blushed slightly not wanting to let him know that it was Ginny's idea.

"Well Ginny and I will be going to buy our outfits tomorrow, would you like me to pick out something for you?"

He thought about this. Of course it was not possible for him to go, nor could he ask his mother. He could pay someone else to buy it for him, but didn't feel like wasting his precious galleons.

He got up and went to his bag where he pulled out a small dark green velvet drawer string pouch. He walked back over to where she sat and handed it her.

"Take this, you may pick my robes and tell Madame Malkin, it is for Draco Malfoy, so that she may do whatever alterations she needs. You will find enough in here for both mine and your robes."

"Malfoy, you do not need to pay for my robes, I am perfectly capable to pay for my own things." She replied rather sharply, not taking his pouch.

He laughed.

"Granger in my family, it is only custom that the wizards by the dress robes for any formal dance occasion both for himself and his partner. So take this.

Or I shall have to go the extra step and write to Madame Malkin, and tell her to put your entire shopping spree on the Malfoy tab." He said leering.

She took it hesitantly not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea, and if Lucius Malfoy was to see, she knew would not end well.

"Don't fail to remember to buy something decent, we Malfoys are not on the same level as the Weasels." He said walking up the stairs.

"Goodnight Granger."

Hermione sat for a little longer thinking about what she had just accepted. She knew Ron and Harry were going to flip out when they saw Malfoy and her together.

She only hoped they would see that they were only going as friends. How would they understand the friendship concept though? They hated him.

She groaned as she got up. What a mess she was in.